The Hindu Business Line : Air Deccan to expand operations in Kerala

No-frills carrier Air Deccan proposes to expand operations by flying into more cities within the State as well as linking it with the other States of the country.

According to Chief Revenue Officer, Mr John Kuruvilla, the State Capital would be made a major hub of Air Deccan operations in the coming days.

Mr Kuruvilla said this while briefing newspersons after the launch of the airline's seventh air base at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport here last week.

He said that while tourism has contributed heavily to the growth of the State's economy, the low-cost air connectivity would help further consolidate growth prospects thanks to its multiplier effect on tourism traffic.

Tie up with hotels

As part of promoting the State as a favoured destination among domestic tourists, Air Deccan will tie up with six to seven hotels in Thiruvananthapuram with a view to introducing holiday packages.

The first aircraft to be based in Thiruvananthapuram is a brand new 180-seater Airbus A-320.

The airline has also started operating in two new sectors, namely Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi via Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram to Mumbai via Kochi.

Daily flight

The DN-718 daily flight will leave Thiruvananthapuram at 6.50 a.m. to reach Chennai at 7.55 a.m.

It will take off from Chennai at 8.25 a.m. to reach New Delhi at 11.05 a.m.

In the reverse direction, the flight will leave New Delhi at 12 noon to reach Chennai at 2.30 p.m., from where it will fly onward to Thiruvananthapuram at 3.05 p.m. to touch down there at 4.10 p.m.